Odds and Ends on My Cruise

I was gone for 5 weeks starting in May and ending 1 July 2013. I logged in 412 nm starting from the South Sound and going as far as Newcastle Island in BC and returning to Tacoma Wa. I was fortunate  that my timing coincided with an Albineers of BC  Rendezvous in Telegraph Harbor, Thetis Island. I towed Pashmina the whole way. Fuel: 37 gallons @ 412nm = 11.13 miles/gal.

My stops along the way:
1. Gig Harbor, Wa USA
2. Blake Island, Wa
3. Langley, Whidbey Island, Wa
4. La Conner, Wa
5. Bedwell Harbor, Pender Island, BC
6. Annette Cove, Prevost Island
7. Montegue Harbor, Galiano Island
8. Telegraph Harbor, Thetis Island
9. Nanaimo, Vancouver Island
10. Newcastle Island
11. Pirates Cove, De Coursey Island
12. Conover Cove, Wallace Island
13. Winter Cove, Saturna Island
14. Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Wa USA
15. Parks Bay, Shaw Island, Wa
16. Jones Island, Wa
17. Blind Bay, Shaw Island, Wa
18. West Sound, Orcas Island, Wa
19. Spencer Spit, Lopez Island, Wa
20. Cypress Island, Wa
21. Vendovi Island, Wa
22. La Conner, WA
23. Langley, Whidbey Island
24. Kingston Harbor, Wa
25. Blake Island, Wa
26. Gig Harbor, Wa
27. Foss Harbor Marina, Tacoma, Wa.

The San Juan Preservation Trust liked my posting on Vendovi Island and posted it to their Facebook Page.

I met so many wonderful people, who have inspired me and I have inspired them, as well. I have received many emails lately thanking me for keeping up the blog and keeping up my travels. I had the best time and thanks to Joyce, my crew who shared in the rowing, the steering, the cooking, the docking, the navigation and the fun. Blog readers have viewed over, 60,000 pages as of this morning. Thank you all for continuing to read, dream and boating.

The Highlight of My Trip: Vendovi Island

26 June 2013 Wednesday

I had met a wonderful couple while I was in Blind Bay. They had ventured over in their dinghy to see Shatoosh up close. They came aboard and we had a wonderful chat. They were on their sailboat on the next buoy over. They left a gem for me that immediately was tucked inside my planner. Vendovi Island was now open to visitors during the day. Oh my gosh, what an opportunity. Rachel, my old friend had worked with the San Juan Preservation Trust to purchase the island. She had gone to view the island before she died and loved it. I had seen her photos and had wanted to go, but it was closed to the general public.

see link http://sjpt.org/places-projects/preserves-easement/sjpt-preserves/vendovi-island-preserve/

I am excited when I awake, even though there was rain during the night. Nothing is going to dampen my spirits on this day. Vendovi, here I come. It is a short hop over 4nm and  since I am early I pull off to look at some beaches on the west side that are so beautiful. Later I learn that it is called Sunset Beach. Most fitting, as  one would see Cypress Island to the west and Lummi Island to the north.

I see a mast of a sailboat over the breakwater, so figure someone is there early, too. I go ahead and enter slowly, as the big tide is ebbing again. The north cove, breakwater and dock are a dream come true with the caretakers house overlooking  the grand view. I tie up and organize my things for the day's adventure. The caretakers meet me. Shawn and Heather own the Westsail 32 that is docked next to me. They have cruised extensively in Mexico, but are from Bellingham. What an opportunity for them to care take this place. I sign the guest register and am on my way to Sunset Beach.

Vendovi Island with Lummi Island in the distance

Breakwater and cove

How beautiful is this?

Lummi to the north

What would make this grow like this?

Why this?

A cedar forest.

Lichen and Moss

What is this?

Looks Like Old Rock to Me

A Haida Mask?

A beach Warrior

Another Mysterious Piece of Wood

Sunset Beach

V for Vendovi

Its time to depart
The tide is out again and the ramp steep.

Reluctantly, I loosen Shatoosh's docklines, and gently walk her to the end of the dock, shove off and step into my cockpit. I turn her slowly placing her stern to the caretaker's house and the bow to Lummi. Heather and Shawn are on their porch, I blow my horn and wave to them goodbye. My new friends and Island are now like old comfortable shoes. I can't wait to return and put them on again. I know the island is in good hands, with the caretakers and the SJPT. This has been a grand day, Rachel, I have thought often of you today especially in the cedar grove.

While not on Vendovi
Rachel's beautiful smile

I remember the photo of you, smiling as you sat on a bench on Vendovi. I sat on
the beach smiling too. Vendovi, you are a rare gem in the archipelago of islands. I must return.

Did you ever wonder who or how Vendovi got its name? Was it the Spanish, the British, or the American ?

Who was Vendovi?

Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer are coauthors of Cruising Guidebooks for The Sea of Cortez and a recent publication on the San Juan Islands.http://exploringcortez.com/ec_authors.html

I continue my trip south to La Conner.

Days run: 18nm

Total: 323 nm

Cypress Island

25 June 2013, Tuesday

I have a short cruising day to get to Cypress Island, but it is not easy. The weather has winds, lumpy seas, I have to buck the tide which is swift and the waters are open, big and with ferry traffic. At one point I am making one knot, so I jibe and head with the current going farther off course and in doing so I am able to switch back and forth for a while and free myself from the grip of the bucking tide. All in all my efforts pay off and I arrive at Cypress Head at 1145 hrs. This is DNR property now with buoys at several locations, steep hiking trails and beautiful scenery. Eagles greet me, banditos, aka raccons, are cruising the minus 3.7 tidal area and I slither into the small cove with its stunning tombola from Cypress Head to the main island and grab a buoy. I feel as though I am in the bottom of a bowl and the tide will take forever to refill the place. This cove is getting a real flushing for about 4 days. Isn't nature wonderful? Later that evening when the bowl got refilled I could see over the tombola and there was Anacortes with its city lights on. What a surprise.

On 11 June 1792, Captain Vancouver on the HMS Discovery anchored on the west side in Strawberry Bay. On the previous expedition by the HMS Chatham with Lt Broughton he had anchored here and named the bay Strawberry for the numerous fruits that were there in the spring. This trip the Chatham had anchored on the east side near some rocky shoreline and this is where they loose their stream anchor. This anchor has been been a long time search project of many a Voyage of Discovery historians. Edmond Meany
Todays run: 10nm
Total: 305nm

Cypress Head to left, Cypress Island to right

Shatoosh looking good on buoy.

South cove

North cove

drift wood

Camp spots with tables and fire pits

Forgot again to count those rings

An old Douglas fir

Kelp seeking out Rocks
Lummi Island in Distance

West Sound to Spencer Spit Lopez Island

24 June 13 Monday
I departed Orcas Island 1430 hrs and arrived at Spencer Spit at 1550 hrs and at 1850 hrs I moved from the north side to the south side on another buoy to get into quieter water---away from the ferry wake. 7nm for todays run.
Total run 295nm

Spencer Spit

Shatoosh's new look: Salty and Stream lined.

The End of the Spit

Blind Bay State Park and Whale Watching

I left Jones Island because I had bad cell coverage, so Blind Bay has 4 bars on my Cell Coverage. I catch up on calls and emails and I am getting lots of Pashmina time here. I have rowed to the store on Shaw for ice cream, circum-rowed Blind Island and today I crossed the channel( 30 minute row) to Orcas Ferry landing to go on the Ocras Express for whale watching with Captain Dan.

These were Transient Pods L-pod. Mother and last year's calf L-119.
We encountered them off of San Juan Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The weather was perfect, sun, slight wind and seas. We saw numerous Eagles and nests with chicks, Harbor seals with new pups hauled out on small rock outcroppings near Cattle Pass and a large flock of Harlequin ducks in the same area.
What a day!

Parks Bay to Friday Harbor to Jones Island to Blind Bay-Shaw Island

19-20 June 2013 Wednesday-Thursday

1030 hr-I weigh anchor and the mud is everywhere...what a mess....I throw a few buckets of water on the anchor chain and rode and then the mess is all over the decks. I leave the whole rode on deck secured. There is no way I'm putting that in the anchor locker.

I motor to Friday harbor and pick up ice, and as I look aft towards the swim platform I see another mess of a dead fish-sole half eaten, blood everywhere. An otter must have been a night time diner on the swim platform. I pull over to the guest dock and go have lunch. There is no hose for fresh water on the dock.Now I have a bigger mess. I throw a few buckets of sea water and scrub off the the dead matter.

Off I go to Jones island state park. It has been 26 even years since I have been here. I take a buoy and there are 2 sail boats here on buoys. One, I recognize, it is a Willard. I met Bob 2011 when we were in Martin Slough  on the Columbia River. Here we go again with history catching up with me again. We were both heading down river to cross the Columbia River Bar about the same time. He was heading north to Barkley Sound, which he does annually. He has a nice sailing dinghy(13 ft). He has just returned form his annual trek and I recognize his boat and dinghy and he hails from Scapoose, Or., my old waking ground.

The other sailboat hails from WA but has sailed to Australia. He hails me over to tell me they carried a Porta Bote  with them and no one ever stole it as the thives always wanted a Zodiac. The ugly boat that really rows like crazy.

I walk a little and can see the effects of the big storm that took down many trees.

I did not count the rings

The dinghy dock--it takes all kinds

I take Pashmina around the bay looking at all the rock formations:

My favorite: a tetrahedron
The perfect yoga posture: Siddhasasna:
Sitting with your head and spine erect, your thighs abducted,and externally rotated,
a line then can be drawn from your head to your feet.
Om shanti shanti
Sacred Geometry is in all things.

What is this?
After poking, turning it with my oar, I discover it is a small deer.
 The white is skin, the spinal bones reveal the vertebral column
and I can see the tail and the hind leg.

A nice gravel beach

The weather holds
thanks to the rubber ducky at Friday Harbor

A Weather Change: I am back in foul weathers and fleece but it
Doesn't dampen my spirits.

I am at Blind  Bay, Shaw Island..the storm has abated; the wind has stopped, the rain has stopped. In spite of many things to deal with today, I am at peace with my life, my boats and my Self.  There is a scheduled weather  break manana.